Vehicle direction indicator



W L m5.

--A. J. LAcKsn-R 15 -9 22.?

VEHICLE DIRECTION INDICATOR Filed July 30 1924 (ELEM! v. LAUKSTROM compact and effective which,

' the-open. ends of the housing,

ALBIN 3. LACKSTBOM,

STATES or oisivn, osrirro'anm VEHIGLIE DIEEGTEON IHDICATOR.

Application area m ac, i924. Serial To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatl, About J. LACKBTBDM, a citizen or the United States, residing in the city of Oakland and county of Alameda and State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Vehicle Directicn Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

My nvention relates to improvements in direction indicators for automobiles and the like and particularly to an improved si nal adapted to be mounted upon the side 0? an automobile to indicate the direction of a proposed turn to persons other in front or in back of the automobile.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an improved direction indicator whereby a single signal serves to warn per-, sons both in front and in back of an automobile of a proposed turn.

Another object is to provide an improved construction which will facilitate and cheapcn the manufacture and which will form a signal.

A further object is to provide a device which may be readily mounted upon the automobile and which will not disligure the appearance of the automobile.

. l1 accomplish these and other objects by N means of the device disclosed in the drawings forming a part of the present specification wherein like characters of reference are used to designate siniilar parts throughout said specification and drawings and in Fig. l is a side elevation of the signal as applied upon the side oi an automobile, and

including a conventional Wiring diagram pit the electrical connections. a

Fig. 2 is a front elevation o the device as shown in Fig, l.

Fig. 3 is a broken perspective of the signal upon a somewhat larger scale, parts bebrolccn away to show the structure.

Fig. fl is a broken vertical section of the signal. a

Referring to the drawings the numeral 1 is used to designate a cylindrical si al housingopen at both ends thereof. utwardly turned flanges 2 are formed upon the ends of the housing. Lugs 3 are cut from the flanges 2 and turned-inwardly to form backing elements adapted to limit the inward movement or transparencies mounted within 7 said transpan cncies consisting of transparent plates 4 and masks 6 associated with the plates and bean ing arrows 7 arranged to be rendered visible in a manner hereinafter more fully ex plaincd.

The transparencies are held within the ends of thehousing l and against the lugs 3 by means ofrixns 8 detachably engaging the flanges 2 of the housing, said rims being provided with inwardly turned retaining lugs 9 adaptedvto be moved into engagement with the flanges Qthrough gaps 11 resulting from the downward turning of the lugs 3 from said flanges; Locking'lugs 12 are laterally offset from the flanges 2 adjacent the gaps 11, and arranged to be engaged by the lugs 9 to lock the rims 8 in position upon the housing 1 when the rims are rotated upon the housing to move the the gaps ll.

A lighting element 13 is mounted within the housing 1 to illuminate the transparencies, said lighting element being connected to a source of electrical energy such as the storage battery 14 of the automobile through connections 16 and 17. .A suitable switch 18 is connected into one of the connections 16 or 17 whereby the circuit through the ligh"'- ing element may be controlled at the will of the operator. y

The housing is arranged to be connected to a supporting arm or bracket 19 adapted to be secured upon'the side or an automobile 20, the bracket being preferably clamped or otherwise secured upon the supporting; post 21 of the windshield 22 so as to extend outwardly from the side of the automobile whereby the signal may be observed either from in front or in back of the automobile,

In operation, a single signal housing is mounted upon the left hand side of the auto mobile, the arrows? of both the front and rear transparencies being arranged to point outwardly from the automobile. The circuit through the lighting broken at the switch 18 element is not energized. .When it is sired to signal a proposed left, the switch 18 is operated to close the circuit throughthe lighting element 13 which is thereby energized to illuminate the transparencies. The illumination of the trans parencics renders the outwardly directed or rows 7 clearly ,visible to persons either in front or in back of such persons may be apprised of the intended turn;-

lugs 9 away from I element 13 is normally so that the lighting turn toward the i the automobile whereby signal is suflicient to By providing transparencies in both front and back of the housing, the single Warn persons both in front and back of the automobile. For all ordinary purposes a single signal placed upon the left side of the automobile is sufficient as it is only when making a left turn that a signal is necessary to the safety of the driver or others. This is true for the reason that when making a right hand turn the criver naturally drives close to the right hand side of the street and in making the turn there is no danger either to approaclr ring vehicles or vehicles passing from the rerun In making the left hand turn however, the machine must cross the course of approaching machines, and also of machines which, unless warned, might attempt to pass from the rear, and for this reason a signal upon the left side of the automobile which will warn persons both in front and in back of the automobile is essential for safety. t

- The particular structure above described forms an important part of the present inof the economy with which vention because it may be manufactured and assembled. By striking the lugs 3 and 12 from the flanges :2 of the housing,.a one-piece housing structure is obtained which may be manufactured very cheaply and upon which the transparencies may be readily mounted by means of the removable rims 8. The entire devicemay be easily mounted upon a convenient portion of the automobile and when soemountedis of s'ttch a neat and compact structure as notto disfigure the appearance,

of the automobile. Having thus described my invention what I elaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is, 1. A vehicle directionindicator coinprising a cylindrical housing open at both ends;

outwardly turned flanges formed upon the ends of the housing; mounted Within the housmg'and arranged to be connected to a source of electrical energy;'transparencies mounted within the open ends of the housing, said transparencies bearing outwardly directed arrowsvisible from in front or rear of. the automobile to indicate the direction of a-proposed turn; lugs out from the flanges. and turned inwardly to form backin elements for the transparencies and to flanges; and rims detachably engaging the open ends lugs cut a lighting element orm gaps in said.

flanges to hold the transparencies against the lugs, said rims having retaining lugs movableinto engagement with the flanges through the gaps formed therein.

2. A vehicle direction indicator comprising a cylindrical housing open at both ends;

wardly to form backing elements for thetransparencies and to form gaps in said flanges; rims detachably engaging the flanges to hold the transparencies against the lugs, said rims being provided with retaining lugs movable into engagement with the flanges; through the gaps formed therein; and locking lugs laterally offset from the flanges to be engaged by the retaining lugs of the rim to lock said rim in engagement with the flange.

3. A vehicle direction indicator compris ing a cylindrical housing open at both ends; outwardly turned flan es formed upon the ends of the housing; a lighting element -mounted within the housing and arranged to be connected to a source of electrical energy; transparencies mounted within the of the housing, said transparencies consisting of transparent plates and masks mounted in back of the plates and bearing outwardly directed arrows visible from in front or rear of the automobile to indicate the direction of a proposed turn;

from the flanges and turnedinwardly 0 form backing elements for the transparencies and to" form gaps in the flanges; rims detachably engaging the flanges to hold the transparencies against the lugs, tainin lugs movable into engagement-with the anges through the gaps formed .therein; and locking lugs laterally ffset from the flanges adyaccnt the gaps to be engaged by the retainingilugs of the rimengagcment with the to lock said rims in flanges.

In witness whereofI hereunto set my signature. I v y ALIBIN'J. LACKSTROMr said rims being provided with -rc 

